Neal Lane, a former science adviser to President Bill Clinton and former National Science Foundation director, wants the Obama administration to make science and technology a higher priority than it has been in recent years. Naming Harvard physicist John Holdren as head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy was a good start, he said in a paper co-authored by Kirstin Matthews, a policy fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Read the full document here.

Their recommendations include: ensuring federal policy is grounded in the best scientific and technical information; enhancing federal funding for science and engineering and research and development in high-priority areas; and mandating a comprehensive review of all federal programs in K-12 education and implementing major reforms, particularly in science, technology, engineering and math. "The discovery of new knowledge and technologies and their diffusion into the public domain drives innovation and contributes to sustainable economic growth and social well-being," they wrote.

Meanwhile, Christopher Bronk, a Baker Institute technology fellow, believes the new administration should place a renewed emphasis on information technology. In a separate paper, he recommended that the U.S. be more pragmatic with its IT policy by appointing a federal chief technology officer -- a position that Obama plans to fill. The report also recommends that the State Department create an entity to engage in digital public diplomacy and a clearly enunciated national policy on Internet monitoring. Read the full document here.